text:
"Chapter 30: Alma 32–35," Book of Mormon Student Manual (2009), 222–31
"Chapter 30," Book of Mormon Student Manual, 222–31
Chapter 30
Alma 32–35
Alma and his brethren preached the word of God to the Zoramites, who were in a state of apostasy. Because of their trials, a group of Zoramites were prepared to receive the word. Alma and Amulek's teachings concerning individual and institutional worship touch upon some of the most significant aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ: the power of the Atonement, repentance, faith, the word of God, and the importance of prayer. In addition to their own testimonies, Alma and Amulek drew upon the testimonies and messages of three ancient prophets. The doctrine and principles contained herein constitute a powerful witness of Jesus Christ.
Alma 32. Having Faith in the Word of God
A central point of Alma 32 is that of having faith in the word of God. Alma observed that when the word of God is planted in the fertile soil of the heart, it will begin to swell and grow. Through experimenting upon the word, or nurturing it through obedience, the word of God will bring forth fruit that is most precious, sweet above all that is sweet, white above all that is white, and pure above all that is pure. Neglecting the word of God will result in no such fruit.
How do we nurture our faith in the word so that we may feast upon this fruit? President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) taught, "If we want to have a living, abiding faith, we must be active in the performance of every duty as members of this Church" (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 2:311).
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917–2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles similarly taught: "Faith exists when absolute confidence in that which we cannot see combines with action that is in absolute conformity to the will of our Heavenly Father. Without all three—first, absolute confidence; second, action; and third, absolute conformity—without these three, all we have is a counterfeit, a weak and watered-down faith" (in Conference Report, Oct. 2002, 89; or Ensign, Nov. 2002, 83).
Alma 32–34. Tree of Life
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized the importance of studying Alma 32–34 as a coherent whole:
"In [the] brilliant discourse [of Alma 32], Alma moves the reader from a general commentary on faith in the seedlike word of God to a focused discourse on faith in Christ as the Word of God, grown to a fruit-bearing tree, a tree whose fruit is exactly that of Lehi's earlier perception of Christ's love. … Christ is the bread of life, the living water, the true vine. Christ is the seed, the tree, and the fruit of eternal life.
"But the profound and central Tree of Life imagery in this discourse is lost, or at least greatly diminished, if the reader does not follow it on into the next two chapters of the Book of Mormon" (Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 169).
Alma 32:8–16. "Blessed Are They Who Humble Themselves"
Alma perceived the readiness of the poor Zoramites to be taught the gospel. Their rejection by the wealthy Zoramites contributed to their state of humility.
Bishop Richard C. Edgley of the Presiding Bishopric taught that humility and submissiveness are virtues allowing one to access gospel blessings: "Many of us live or work in an environment where humility is often misunderstood and considered a weakness. Not many corporations or institutions include humility as a value statement or a desired characteristic of their management. Yet as we learn about the workings of God, the power of a humble and submissive spirit becomes apparent. In the kingdom of God, greatness begins with humility and submissiveness. These companion virtues are the first critical steps to opening the doors to the blessings of God and the power of the priesthood. It matters not who we are or how lofty our credentials appear. Humility and submissiveness to the Lord, coupled with a grateful heart, are our strength and our hope" (in Conference Report, Oct. 2003, 104; or Ensign, Nov. 2003, 98).
Humility is important enough in the eyes of the Lord that He sometimes helps us be humble. Alma 32:8–16 speaks of two ways to become humble. Verse 13 describes those who are "compelled to be humble"; verses 14 and 16 speak of others who humble themselves voluntarily "because of the word."
Elder Carlos E. Asay (1926–99) of the Seventy also described these two groups: "Most of us seem to have the 'Nephite cycle' as part of our character. There is a point when we are teachable; our humility enables us to grow and to ride the crest of spirituality. Then there are other times when we begin to feel self-sufficient and puffed up with pride. … How much better it would be if we kept in remembrance our God and our religion and broke the cycle by consistent worship and righteous living. How much better it would be if we were humbled by the word of the Lord and strong enough in spirit to remember our God in whatsoever circumstances we find ourselves" (Family Pecan Trees: Planting a Legacy of Faith at Home [1992], 193–94).For more information and a diagram depicting the pride cycle, refer to "The Cycle of Righteousness and Wickedness" in the appendix (page 414).
President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) described ways that we could humble ourselves and avoid the trials that sometimes accompany being compelled to be humble:
"We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are (see D&C 38:24; 81:5; 84:106).
"We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement (see Jacob 4:10; Helaman 15:3; D&C 63:55; 101:4–5; 108:1; 124:61, 84; 136:31; Proverbs 9:8).
"We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us (see 3 Nephi 13:11, 14; D&C 64:10).
"We can choose to humble ourselves by rendering selfless service (see Mosiah 2:16–17).
"We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others (see Alma 4:19; 31:5; 48:20).
"We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently.
"We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God (see D&C 58:43; Mosiah 27:25–26; Alma 5:7–14, 49).
"We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives (see 3 Nephi 11:11; 13:33; Moroni 10:32)" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 6; or Ensign, May 1989, 6–7).
Alma 32:17–18. Faith Is Not Built upon Signs
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke of the dangers accompanying the seeking of signs for faith:
"The showing of a sign can work to the condemnation of those who are brought to knowledge by that means. They miss the opportunity to develop faith, and they subject themselves to a more severe punishment for backsliding than those whose spiritual development is proceeding along the normal pathway of developing faith.
"There are other 'condemnations' to those who seek signs without first developing the faith God has required as a prerequisite.
"One condemnation is to be misled. God warned ancient Israel against following prophets who gave signs and wonders and then sought to lead them away to the worship of strange gods. (Deut. 13:1–3.) The Savior taught his apostles that in the last days 'there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.' (JST Matt. 24:23; also see Matt. 24:24; Mark 13:22.) …
"… In our day, God does not use miracles or signs as a way of teaching or convincing the unbeliever. As a result, we should not ask for signs for this purpose, and we should be deeply suspicious of the so-called spiritual evidences of those who do" (The Lord's Way [1991], 85–86).
Alma 32:21.Imagescripture mastery Faith and Hope
President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, helps us better understand the meaning of faith:
"Faith, to be faith, must center around something that is not known. Faith, to be faith, must go beyond that for which there is confirming evidence. Faith, to be faith, must go into the unknown. Faith, to be faith, must walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness. If everything has to be known, if everything has to be explained, if everything has to be certified, then there is no need for faith. Indeed, there is no room for it. …
"There are two kinds of faith. One of them functions ordinarily in the life of every soul. It is the kind of faith born by experience; it gives us certainty that a new day will dawn, that spring will come, that growth will take place. It is the kind of faith that relates us with confidence to that which is scheduled to happen. …
"There is another kind of faith, rare indeed. This is the kind of faith that causes things to happen. It is the kind of faith that is worthy and prepared and unyielding, and it calls forth things that otherwise would not be. It is the kind of faith that moves people. It is the kind of faith that sometimes moves things. … It comes by gradual growth. It is a marvelous, even a transcendent, power, a power as real and as invisible as electricity. Directed and channeled, it has great effect. …
"In a world filled with skepticism and doubt, the expression 'seeing is believing' promotes the attitude, 'You show me, and I will believe.' We want all of the proof and all of the evidence first. It seems hard to take things on faith.
"When will we learn that in spiritual things it works the other way about—that believing is seeing? Spiritual belief precedes spiritual knowledge. When we believe in things that are not seen but are nevertheless true, then we have faith" ("What Is Faith?" in Faith [1983], 42–43).
Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described the relationship between hope, faith, and knowledge and explained how they exist in a profound and dynamic relationship: "Faith and hope are constantly interactive and may not always be precisely distinguished or sequenced. Though not perfect knowledge either, hope's enlivened expectations are 'with surety' true (Ether 12:4; see also Romans 8:24; Hebrews 11:1; Alma 32:21)" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 45; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 35).
Alma 32:23. Little Children Receive Inspiration
The faith of little children often leads to divine insights. Elder Neal A. Maxwell described how their example can serve to instruct those who are older:
"Children often have the 'thoughts and [the] intents of [their] hearts' focused on the Master. Though not full of years, such children are full of faith! Too young for formal Church callings, they have been 'called to serve' as exemplifiers, doing especially well when blessed with 'goodly parents' (1 Ne. 1:1).
"Just as the scriptures assure, 'little children do have words given unto them many times' (Alma 32:23). For example, the resurrected Jesus revealed things to the Nephite children, who then taught adults and their parents 'even greater' things than Jesus had taught (3 Ne. 26:14).
"It has been a privilege to seal several adopted children to Nan and Dan Barker, now of Arizona. Some time ago Nate, then just over three, said: 'Mommy, there is another little girl who is supposed to come to our family. She has dark hair and dark eyes and lives a long way from here.'
"The wise mother asked, 'How do you know this?'
"'Jesus told me, upstairs.'
"The mother noted, 'We don't have an upstairs,' but quickly sensed the significance of what had been communicated. After much travail and many prayers, the Barker family were in a sealing room in the Salt Lake Temple in the fall of 1995, where a little girl with dark hair and dark eyes, from Kazakhstan, was sealed to them for time and eternity. Inspired children still tell parents 'great and marvelous things' (3 Nephi 26:14)" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1996, 95–96; or Ensign, May 1996, 69–70).
Alma 32:27–37. Experimenting on the Word of God Brings Conversion
Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that a willingness to perform Alma's experiment leads to conversion:
"We know that both members and nonmembers are more likely to be thoroughly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ when they are willing to experiment upon the word (see Alma 32:27). This is an attitude of both mind and heart that includes a desire to know the truth and a willingness to act on that desire. For those investigating the Church, the experiment can be as simple as agreeing to read the Book of Mormon, to pray about it, and to earnestly seek to know if Joseph Smith was the Lord's prophet.
"True conversion comes through the power of the Spirit. When the Spirit touches the heart, hearts are changed. When individuals, both members and investigators, feel the Spirit working with them, or when they see the evidence of the Lord's love and mercy in their lives, they are edified and strengthened spiritually, and their faith in Him increases. These experiences with the Spirit follow naturally when a person is willing to experiment upon the word. This is how we come to feel the gospel is true" (in Conference Report, Oct. 2000, 97; or Ensign, Nov. 2000, 75).
At times the swelling motions, the enlarging of souls, the enlightening of understanding, and the beginning of delicious feelings from the Spirit spoken of in Alma 32:28 are difficult to verbally express. However, being hard to express does not discount the truthfulness of the feeling.
President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, shared an experience that describes the difficulty of verbal expression. He bore his testimony to an atheist that there is a God. The man said he could not know such a thing. President Packer compared his testimony and knowledge with knowing what salt tastes like (see commentary for Alma 30:15–16 on page 214; see also "The Candle of the Lord," Ensign, Jan. 1983, 51–52).
Alma 32:28–30. "Give Place, That a Seed May Be Planted" and Begin to Grow
Increased faith in God's word is one of the fruits that come from seeds of faith planted in the fertile ground of a soft heart. President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency described the necessary prerequisites for faith and knowledge to grow and mature: "We … need to prepare our own seedbeds of faith. To do this we need to plow the soil through daily humble prayer, asking for strength and forgiveness. We need to harrow the soil by overcoming our feelings of pride. We need to prepare the seedbed by keeping the commandments to the best of our ability. We need to be honest with the Lord in the payment of our tithing and our other offerings. We need to be worthy and able to call forth the great powers of the priesthood to bless ourselves, our families, and others for whom we have responsibility. There is no better place for the spiritual seeds of our faith to be nurtured than within the hallowed sanctuaries of our temples and in our homes" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1999, 61; or Ensign, Nov. 1999, 48).
ImageIllustration of seed becoming tree -
The planted seed of faith does not grow suddenly. President Boyd K. Packer explained the importance of patience while waiting for the seed to grow:
"My experience has been that a testimony does not burst upon us suddenly. Rather, it grows, as Alma said, from a seed of faith. …
"Do not be disappointed if you have read and reread and yet have not received a powerful witness. You may be somewhat like the disciples spoken of in the Book of Mormon who were filled with the power of God in great glory 'and they knew it not' (3 Nephi 9:20).
"Do the best you can. Think of this verse: 'See that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order' (Mosiah 4:27)" (in Conference Report, Apr. 2005, 7; or Ensign, May 2005, 8).
Alma 32:28–35. "It Beginneth to Be Delicious to Me"
Alma used the concept of taste to describe the growth of testimony. The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–44) also used taste to teach about discernment of true doctrine: "This is good doctrine. It tastes good. I can taste the principles of eternal life, and so can you. … I know that when I tell you these words of eternal life as they are given to me, you taste them, and I know that you believe them. You say honey is sweet, and so do I. I can also taste the spirit of eternal life. I know that it is good; and when I tell you of these things which were given me by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you are bound to receive them as sweet, and rejoice more and more" (History of the Church, 6:312; italics added).
Sister Janette Hales Beckham, former general Young Women president, spoke of the feelings associated with scripture reading: "Learning to discern the teachings of the Spirit is an important part of helping faith become a reality. My daughter Karen shared her experience. She said: 'When I was just a little girl, I started reading the Book of Mormon for the first time. After many days of reading, I came one night to 1 Nephi 3:7. … I didn't know this was a famous verse, but as I read that verse, I felt strongly impressed. I was impressed that Heavenly Father would help us keep His commandments, but the deep impression was really more of a feeling. I had seen my parents mark verses in their scriptures with red pencils. So I got up and searched through the house until I found a red pencil, and with a great sense of solemnity and importance, I marked that verse in my own Book of Mormon.' Karen continued: 'Over the years as I read the scriptures, that experience was repeated time and time again—reading a verse and feeling deeply impressed. In time I came to recognize that feeling as the Holy Ghost'" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1997, 104; or Ensign, Nov. 1997, 75).
Alma 32:35. "O Then, Is Not This Real?"
As Alma spoke to the poor Zoramites, he asked them to discern the truth of his message for themselves. One person cannot learn a gospel principle for another. Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained that each of us can know the certainty of divine truths:
"Alma describes the growth of faith and how faith can actually become knowledge with the accompanying intellectual and emotional experiences of the believer. After the understanding of the believer has been enlarged and his mind has been expanded, Alma asks, 'O then, is not this real?' It is real, he says, because it is 'discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good.' (Alma 32:35.)
"The truth of each divine doctrine is actually discernible by us in a system of certification and confirmation that justifies our saying, 'I know!'" (Things As They Really Are [1978], 10).
Alma 32:33–43. Nourish the Word
Elder Bruce C. Hafen of the Seventy, using Alma's metaphor of cultivation, identified two aspects of nourishment that bring the blessings of the gospel into our lives: "We grow in two ways—removing negative weeds and cultivating positive flowers. The Savior's grace blesses both parts—if we do our part. First and repeatedly we must uproot the weeds of sin and bad choices. It isn't enough just to mow the weeds. Yank them out by the roots, repenting fully to satisfy the conditions of mercy. But being forgiven is only part of our growth. We are not just paying a debt. Our purpose is to become celestial beings. So once we've cleared our heartland, we must continually plant, weed, and nourish the seeds of divine qualities. And then as our sweat and discipline stretch us to meet His gifts, 'the flow'rs of grace appear' ["There Is Sunshine in My Soul Today," Hymns, no. 227], like hope and meekness. Even a tree of life can take root in this heart-garden, bearing fruit so sweet that it lightens all our burdens 'through the joy of his Son' [Alma 33:23]. And when the flower of charity blooms here, we will love others with the power of Christ's own love [see Moroni 7:48]" (in Conference Report, Apr. 2004, 100–101; or Ensign, May 2004, 97).
Alma 32:37–38, 42–43. Being a Disciple of Christ
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency taught members of the Church how to become a disciple of Christ:
"This is the peaceable way of the follower of Jesus Christ.
"Nevertheless, it is not a quick fix or an overnight cure.
"A friend of mine recently wrote to me, confiding that he was having a difficult time keeping his testimony strong and vibrant. He asked for counsel.
"I wrote back to him and lovingly suggested a few specific things he could do that would align his life more closely with the teachings of the restored gospel. To my surprise, I heard back from him only a week later. The essence of his letter was this: 'I tried what you suggested. It didn't work. What else have you got?'
"Brothers and sisters, we have to stay with it. We don't acquire eternal life in a sprint—this is a race of endurance. We have to apply and reapply the divine gospel principles. Day after day we need to make them part of our normal life.
"Too often we approach the gospel like a farmer who places a seed in the ground in the morning and expects corn on the cob by the afternoon. When Alma compared the word of God to a seed, he explained that the seed grows into a fruit-bearing tree gradually, as a result of our 'faith, and [our] diligence, and patience, and long-suffering' [Alma 32:43]. It's true that some blessings come right away: soon after we plant the seed in our hearts, it begins to swell and sprout and grow, and by this we know that the seed is good. From the very moment we set foot upon the pathway of discipleship, seen and unseen blessings from God begin to attend us.
"But we cannot receive the fulness of those blessings if we 'neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment' [v. 38].
"Knowing that the seed is good is not enough. We must 'nourish it with great care, that it may get root' [v. 37]. Only then can we partake of the fruit that is 'sweet above all that is sweet, and … pure above all that is pure' and 'feast upon this fruit even until [we] are filled, that [we] hunger not, neither shall [we] thirst' [v. 42].
"Discipleship is a journey. We need the refining lessons of the journey to craft our character and purify our hearts. By patiently walking in the path of discipleship, we demonstrate to ourselves the measure of our faith and our willingness to accept God's will rather than ours.
"It is not enough merely to speak of Jesus Christ or proclaim that we are His disciples. It is not enough to surround ourselves with symbols of our religion. Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessings of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, 'spectator discipleship' is a preferred if not a primary way of worshipping.
"Ours is not a secondhand religion. We cannot receive the blessings of the gospel merely by observing the good that others do. We need to get off the sidelines and practice what we preach. …"… Now is the time to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, become His disciples, and walk in His way" ("The Way of the Disciple, Ensign, May 2009, 76–77).
Alma 33:2–19. False Doctrines of the Zoramites
Alma used the scriptures repeatedly to address the false doctrines taught by the Zoramites. He first dealt with the false notion that you can only pray on the Rameumptom. Using the scriptures he explained that they could pray and worship God anywhere; in their "wilderness," in their "field," in their "house," and even in their "closet" (see Alma 33:2–11). Alma then addressed the fact that all the prophets have testified of the coming of a Christ (see Alma 33:14–22; see also Jacob 7:11).
Alma 33:3–11; 34:17–27, 39. Hearts Drawn Out in Prayer Continually
President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency explained what it means to be in a continuous attitude of prayer:
"When God has commanded us to pray, He has used words like 'pray unceasingly' and 'pray always' and 'mighty prayer.'
"Those commands do not require using many words. In fact, the Savior has told us that we need not multiply words when we pray. The diligence in prayer which God requires does not take flowery speech nor long hours of solitude. …
"Our hearts can be drawn out to God only when they are filled with love for Him and trust in His goodness" (in Conference Report, Oct. 2001, 17; or Ensign, Nov. 2001, 16).
Alma 33:19–23. A Type of Christ Was Raised in the Wilderness
Because of the ancient Israelites' murmuring in the wilderness, the Lord sent venomous serpents to humble the spiritually poisoned. Many people died, and the repentant people turned to their prophet and pled with him to ask the Lord to remove the serpents. God told Moses to make a serpent of brass and elevate it on a pole. The Lord promised that everyone who looked upon the raised serpent would be healed (see Numbers 21:4–9).
The brass serpent was a type. Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained that a type is "a likeness or reminder of something else" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1992, 51; or Ensign, Nov. 1992, 37).
Jesus Christ taught that the type raised up in the wilderness testified of Him: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:14–15). Because of their hard hearts and disbelief, many of the Israelites refused to take advantage of the simple manner of healing (see 1 Nephi 17:41). Alma invited everyone to "begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and … atone for their sins" (Alma 33:22; see also Helaman 8:14–15). Alma promised that nourishing this testimony will lighten one's burdens and lead to everlasting life (see Alma 33:23).
Alma 34:9–12. The Atonement of Jesus Christ Is Infinite and Eternal
Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles defined the scope of the infinite and eternal sacrifice of the Lord: "When the prophets speak of an infinite atonement, they mean just that. Its effects cover all men, the earth itself and all forms of life thereon, and reach out into the endless expanses of eternity" (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 64; see also Moses 7:30).
Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles enumerated some of the ways the Atonement of Jesus Christ is infinite:
"His Atonement is infinite—without an end [see 2 Nephi 9:7; 25:16; Alma 34:10, 12, 14]. It was also infinite in that all humankind would be saved from never-ending death. It was infinite in terms of His immense suffering. It was infinite in time, putting an end to the preceding prototype of animal sacrifice. It was infinite in scope—it was to be done once for all [see Hebrews 10:10]. And the mercy of the Atonement extends not only to an infinite number of people, but also to an infinite number of worlds created by Him [see D&C 76:24; Moses 1:33]. It was infinite beyond any human scale of measurement or mortal comprehension.
"Jesus was the only one who could offer such an infinite atonement, since He was born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father. Because of that unique birthright, Jesus was an infinite Being" (in Conference Report, Oct. 1996, 46; or Ensign, Nov. 1996, 35).
Alma 34:14. "Every Whit Pointing to That Great and Last Sacrifice"
Amulek declared that the whole meaning of the law of Moses was to point the people to the eventual "great and last sacrifice" of Jesus Christ in Gethsemane and Golgotha. The animal sacrifices, the feasts and festivals, and other daily rituals were full of numerous types and shadows, pointing the children of Israel to Christ. The sacrament similarly reminds us today of the atoning mission of Jesus Christ. Likewise, anciently Passover was a yearly reminder that the Lord brought Israel out of physical bondage in Egypt. Today Easter is a yearly reminder that through the Atonement and Resurrection of the Lord we can be redeemed out of spiritual bondage.
ImageAdam and Eve offering sacrifice© 1995 Del Parson
Alma 34:14–17. "Faith unto Repentance"
While serving as a member of the Seventy, Elder Robert E. Wells spoke of the faith required to bring changes in our lives sufficient to participate in the Atonement of Jesus Christ:
"'Just how much faith do I need for the atonement of Christ to work for me?' In other words, how much faith do I need to receive salvation? In the book of Alma … we find the answer. The prophet Amulek taught this simple but grand principle: 'The Son of God, … bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance' (Alma 34:14–15; emphasis added).
"Please note those three words: faith unto repentance. That is the clue. Four times in three verses he uses that expression [see Alma 34:15–17]. …
"So the combination of faith in Christ plus faith unto repentance is vitally important. That concept is one of the greatest insights we have into the importance of simple, clear faith—faith sufficient to repent. Apparently faith great enough to move mountains is not required; faith enough to speak in tongues or to heal the sick is not needed; all that we need is just enough faith to recognize that we have sinned and to repent of our sins, to feel remorse for them, and to desire to sin no more but to please Christ the Lord. Then the greatest miracle of all, the Atonement, whereby Christ rescues us from our deserved punishment, is in effect in our behalf" ("The Liahona Triad," in Bruce A. Van Orden and Brent L. Top, eds., Doctrines of the Book of Mormon: The 1991 Sperry Symposium [1992], 6–7).
Alma 34:15–16. "Mercy Can Satisfy the Demands of Justice"
There are two aspects of justice:
Obedience to law results in blessings that bring joy (see D&C 130:20–21).
Disobedience to law results in punishments that bring sorrow (see Alma 42:22).
There are two ways to satisfy justice:
Never violate the law.
If you do violate the law, pay the penalty.
Problem: No flesh is justified by the law (see 2 Nephi 2:5); everyone has sinned (see Romans 3:23). Thus, a penalty must be paid.
There are two effects of sin:
By temporal law we are cut off—justice is violated (see Alma 42:14).
By spiritual law we perish—"there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God" (1 Nephi 15:34).
Jesus "offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law" (2 Nephi 2:7).
Christ initiated the law of mercy, but how?
He kept the law perfectly and was without sin. He was justified by the law.
In the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, He suffered and paid the price for the penalty as though He was guilty of every sin ever committed.
He is our Advocate with the Father (see Alma 33:11; D&C 45:3–5).
Alma 34:32–34.Imagescripture mastery "Do Not Procrastinate the Day of Your Repentance"
Procrastination and indecision can impact our efforts to return to our Heavenly Father. President Joseph Fielding Smith taught, "Procrastination, as it may be applied to Gospel principles, is the thief of eternal life—which is life in the presence of the Father and the Son" (The Way to Perfection [1970], 202).
Alma 34:34–35. That Same Spirit Will Possess Us
Amulek made it clear that we are, by our daily choices, ultimately giving ourselves over to the control or influence of either the Spirit of the Lord or the spirit of the devil. President Harold B. Lee (1899–1973) gave the following explanation of Alma 34:35: "To those who die in their wicked state, not having repented, the scriptures say the devil shall seal them as his own (see Alma 34:35), which means that until they have paid the uttermost farthing for what they have done, they shall not be redeemed from his grasp. When they shall have been subjected to the buffetings of Satan sufficient to have satisfied justice, then they shall be brought forth out of the grasp of Satan and shall be assigned to that place in our Father's celestial, terrestrial, or telestial world merited by their life here upon this earth" (The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1996], 59).
Elder Melvin J. Ballard (1873–1939) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized the importance of repenting during mortality:
"This life is the time in which men are to repent. Do not let any of us imagine that we can go down to the grave not having overcome the corruptions of the flesh and then lose in the grave all our sins and evil tendencies. They will be with us. They will be with the spirit when separated from the body.
"… [Mortality] is the time when men are more pliable and susceptible" (The Three Degrees of Glory: A Discourse [Sept. 22, 1922], 11–12).
Alma 35. The Nephite-Lamanite Wars Recorded in Alma 43–62
Chronologically, Alma 43 follows Alma 35. "Alma, being grieved for the iniquity of his people, yea for the wars, and the bloodsheds," gathered his sons "separately" to address "things pertaining unto righteousness" (Alma 35:15–16). Mormon specifically noted his interjection of Alma's words to his sons Helaman, Shiblon, and Corianton—before returning to the "account of the wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites" (Alma 43:3; compare the dates at the bottom of the pages of Alma 35 and Alma 43).
Alma 35 explains the buildup that led to the Lamanite-Nephite war, comprising chapters 43–62. The conflict and eventual war may be summarized from Alma 35:
The "popular part of the Zoramites … were angry because of the word, for it did destroy their craft [priestcraft]" (verse 3).
The converted Zoramites, being "cast out of the land; and they were many" (verse 6), went and dwelt among the people of Jershon (people of Ammon). Here they were nourished, clothed, given lands for their inheritance, and had all of their wants satisfied (see verse 9). In their previous land they were looked upon as poor, filthy, and coarse (see Alma 32:2–3).
The kindness of the people of Jershon receiving the new converts infuriated the Zoramites (see Alma 35:8). The chief ruler of the Zoramites "breathed out many threatenings against them" (verse 9). "The people of Ammon did not fear" (verse 9), further angering the Zoramites and their ruler.
The unconverted Zoramites "began to mix with the Lamanites and to stir them up also to anger" against the people of Ammon, who were Lamanite converts (verse 10; see also Alma 43:6–7).
The events recorded in Alma 35 reveal how the lengthy Nephite-Lamanite wars recorded in Alma 43–62 began. Satan stirred the hearts of the Zoramites to anger (see 2 Nephi 28:20). In turn, they influenced the Lamanites and other Nephite dissenters to anger and to take up weapons of war against those who were good.
Points to Ponder
In what ways might a person's heart be "full, drawn out in prayer" continually to the Lord? (Alma 34:27).
Why was Jesus Christ the only one who could make an infinite atonement?
Why do people sometimes procrastinate repentance? What danger results from this delay?
Suggested Assignments
Create a detailed outline of Alma's teachings on the development of faith from Alma 32. Show how faith is nourished from hope to perfect knowledge and what role the word of God plays in this process.
Using the instructions on prayer in Alma 33–34, identify specific ways that your prayers could become more productive.


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Deborah Lippmann Spring 2014 "Spring Reveries" – Coming Soon
Following up her glittering, jeweled-toned fall collection, Deborah Lippmann is taking a different tact for spring. She's lightening things up with whisper soft shades in her Spring 2014 "Spring Reveries" collection.
This spring, Deborah Lippmann brings to you Spring Reveries, a collection of six alluring pastels blooming with possibility for the season. Inspired by Deborah's love for botanical gardens and flowers, these new shades are ethereal and poetic, inviting you to an imaginary magical garden.
Keep reading for the full details and a better look at the colors.
Deborah Lippmann La Vie En Rose (shimmer) – Pastel petal pink (previewed on the Spring 2014 Badgley Mischka and Zero + Maria Cornejo runways)
Deborah Lippmann Blue Orchid (creme) – Blossoming baby blue (debuted at the Spring 2014 Badgley Mischka show layered under La Vie En Rose)
Deborah Lippmann Spring Buds (creme) – Pretty, playful pistachio
Deborah Lippmann Tip Toe Through The Tulips (creme) – Perennial pale peach
Deborah Lippmann Build Me Up Buttercup (creme) – Blooming buttery bouquet
Deborah Lippmann Flowers In Her Hair (creme) – Magnificent mint medley
The Deborah Lippmann Spring Reveries collection will be available in February 2014 at DeborahLippmann.com, Barneys.com, Bloomingdales.com, NeimanMarcus.com, Nordstrom.com and Sephora.com. Deborah Lippmann nail polish retails for $18/ea.
Are you feeling Spring Reveries? Which shades are you most looking forward to seeing?
I'm just hoping for a smooth, non-chalky consistency.
Disclosure: Affiliate links appear in this post. When you purchase through an affiliate link, you help support this site. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
info and images provided by reps for Deborah Lippmann

subset: commoncrawl


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Over his last three appareances, Dodger closer Javy Guerra has not been the same. But the signs, the true signs of things amiss, go back much further than that.
Sure, Javy's first blown save of the year came on April 17 in Milwaukee, ending his streak of sterling appearances (five saves and a win in six appearances). Then Guerra put together two more saves on April 19 and 20 to put most fears to rest.
But over the last three appearances, Javy has been a mess. First, on April 24, he entered with the game tied 3-3 against the Braves, only to give up the game-winning run. The following night was even worse, when he gave up five straight hits to the Braves and three earned runs and, worst of all, took a comebacker in the jaw in the loss. Finally, in a wild one Saturday night against the Nationals, Guerra gave up another earned run and allows two runs total, in a game we were extremely lucky to tie in the ninth, let alone win in the tenth. In all the post-game revelry, the state of Guerra was forgotten.
However, intrepid Dodger fans know what's really going on: Javy Guerra is afflicted with the Snuggie Curse.
Go ahead and laugh, sure. Guerra should be "naturally balanced" with all that logo treatment plastered on him, right? However, the facts of this case reveal the truth.
First, let's go back and look at the Snuggie-related timeline:
- April 12: Guerra is unveiled as the short-straw-drawing sap for the commercial advertising the Dodgers' upcoming campaign, Dodgers Snuggie night. Guerra tries desperately to make a smile, then is forced to tell a fish story. Even he knows something is up.
- April 16: Guerra tries desperately to rehab image. Even the powers of the Dark Lord of the Sith cannot defeat the Snuggie Curse.
- April 18: All hell starts breaking loose as Snuggie Night finally arrives. Javy Guerra does not make an appearance in that game; some have speculated it was because the Snuggie itself was already sticking its evil tentacles into Guerra's body.
Now let's correlate those dates with those of Guerra's downfall. Remember, the signs of Guerra's fraying started with his first blown save on April 17, five days after his television spot debuted. Then, once the actual Dodger Snuggie promotion happened, all hell broke loose: blown saves, errant pitches, comebackers to the head. Ever since Javy got into that backwards robe thingy, he's been cursed.
Oh yes, this is the Snuggie Curse, all right. Plain and simple.
And really, the Dodgers should have known better. What, you haven't heard of the Snuggie Curse?
Remember when Weezer went all Snuggie-licious on us? That was in November 2009. One short month later, the Weezer tour bus crashed on the interstate, leaving frontman Rivers Cuomo with three cracked ribs (among other injuries) and causing the cancellation of their tour. The Snuggie is to blame. What else could it be? Meanwhile, closer to home, the Dodgers have a more prominent case study. Remember which Dodger hawked a Dodgers Snuggie last year in a similar television spot? None other than James Loney. Oh sure, we thought it was humorous too, at first. But this was before Loney went on to have a putrid first half in 2011, not breaking the .250 batting average mark until June 12 (Loney finished decently strong to end the year with a .288 average). It took Loney almost three months to wear off the curse last year (no details as to whether Loney was sleeping in his snuggie during this past offseason, either).We won't be able to wait three months for Guerra to get back to fighting form. That's why we're calling on you, the SoSG readers, to help break this Snuggie Curse and save Javy Guerra from a horrible first half.
If any of you have a 2012 Dodgers Snuggie that you'd be willing to sacrifice to the baseball gods, send us pictures or video, proving your sacrifice. We'll publicize the results. Then, and only then, will the Javy Guerra we know and love return.
Somewhere under that sleeved fleece canopy lies the heart and soul of a true closer. We need to band together to break the Snuggie Curse, pull that good man back out from under that tent, and into the blue light.
Not that we're conspiracy theorists, but for earlier SoSG curse content, here's The Dane Cook Dodgers Curse; The Wheaties Fuel Curse (Part 1, 2, and 3; and The Eric Collins Curse 2009 and 2010. Nah, we're not paranoid. Nosiree.


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Magic isn't a handful of sparkling dust, a star-topped wand, or a tame word captured on parchment.
It's alive. It has a mind of its own. And it's hungry.
To celebrate the release of Slippers of Pearl and Bitten: A Novel of Faerie, I'd like to offer a bite of magic to all those who love kidlit--and fairy tales in particular.
There will be eleven winners and six different prizes available:
A Bite of Cobbler
Shoes, unlike magic, are predictable. They don't change shape, bite, or alter a person's destiny.
And that's just how Faryn likes it.
But his Uncle Harvey has a bad habit of dying. While inconvenient, this hasn't ever been a problem until now. Thanks to an evil witch and a poisoned apple turnover, Harvey is dead again—permanently this time.
As his uncle's heir, Faryn has to give up shoemaking in order to accept and refine his magic.
Magic he never wanted.
Unwilling to let go of his dream, but unable to escape his destiny, Faryn combines the two and discovers a knack for making magical shoes. He also learns that turning a person into a goose is a lot easier than turning her back, and that he severely underestimated how much trouble magic can be.
The witch who killed his uncle is trying to control all the magic of the land, and it's up to Faryn to stop her. If only he can get his magic to cooperate in time.
an autographed copy of Slippers of Pearl
a magical pouch to keep it in
and a Slippers of Pearl bookmark
A Bite of Faerie
(Available October 2nd-ish)
Fourteen-year-old Cherrie Wilding stopped believing in fairies after her Grams had a stroke that left her a silent, empty stranger. But whether she believes in them or not, one of them bit her, and now the venom is spreading through her system and causing . . . complications. Like an allergy to iron and a craving for milk.
It turns out that fairy venom has the power to turn mortals into small, winged versions of themselves. And it gets better. Grams's stroke was the result of her light—her fairy soul—being stolen. The fairy who bit Cherrie demands her to help steal Grams's light back.
As much as Cherrie wants to save Grams, her need to protect her older brother from the fairies and the rest of the real world wins out. Who knows what lurks in a world populated by winged menaces? But when the fairy talks Cherrie's brother into going to the fairy realm, Cherrie mounts a rescue attempt to save him. To her surprise, it's not her brother who needs rescuing—it's the fairies. Someone is stealing their lights and imprisoning them, and it's up to Cherrie and her brother to free them. But saving the fairies, keeping her brother safe, and returning home requires the help of the Phoenix. And the price for his aid doesn't come cheap. If Cherrie wants to succeed, she must be willing to part with her greatest possession: her heart.
an autographed copy of Bitten: A Novel of Faerie
a faerie habitat
a Bitten bookmark
A Bite of Books
1 $25 Amazon Gift Card
Two Bites of Music
2 $15 iTunes Gift Cards
Six Bites of Braun Books Certificates
6 $10 gift certificates to Braun Books; redeemable in store or through Amazon
(A special thanks to Megan at Braun Books!)
To enter, leave a comment. Extra entries available through the Rafflecopter below.
Thank you to all, and best of luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Παρασκευή 29 Φεβρουαρίου 2008
The making of Champion Script Pro
This article has moved to a new location
// by Panos Vassiliou
As presented at the 3rd International Conference on Typography & Visual Communication
(ICTVC) - June 2007, Thessaloniki, Greece.
PF Champion Script Pro is the most advanced and powerful script ever made. Developed over a period of two and a half years, each one of the 2 weights is loaded with 4253 glyphs (now 4280 glyphs), offering simultaneous support for all European languages based on the Latin, Greek and Cyrillic scripts.
The decision to develop such a typeface was taken during my trip to London back in 2001, while doing a research at the St Bride Library. It was then that I came across some beautiful 18th century manuscripts written by English calligraphers. I was particularly impressed by the writing of Joseph Champion, somebody whom I had never heard before (fig. 5).
Being myself a self-taught type designer and not a calligrapher, the idea of pursuing such a task seemed at the moment unattainable. Nevertheless, it haunted me for at least three years before the project got started.
Joseph Champion (1709-1765) was born at Chatham in 1709 and was educated partly at St Paul's School and partly at Sir John Johnson's Free Writing School in Foster Lane under Charles Snell to whom he was afterwards apprenticed. Champion contributed no fewer than 47 plates to Bickham's Universal Penman. His most important work, "The Parallel or Comparative Penmanship Exemplified", was published in 1750. The Parallel consists of reproductions of the work of foreign masters like Materot, Barbedor, Van den Velde, Perlingh and Maria Strick, with corresponding plates by Champion. Following these plates come some alphabets by Champion. His last published work was "The Penman's Employment", 1762.
His manuscripts (fig.6) were embellished with several beautiful swashes, frames, ornaments, endings and beginnings, all written with such a precision that seems very difficult to achieve in our days.
The first known attempt to decode Champion's writing, was done in 1989 by the French typographic designer François Boltana. Later, in his published paper "Ligatures & calligraphie assistée par ordinateur" (1995), he proposed a couple of alphabets, based on Champion, with a minimal set of alternate glyphs (fig 7). These did not really make it into a commercial font as he passed away in 1999.
The development of Champion Script Pro started in 2004 with the intention to design a contemporary typeface with classic roots which, for the first time, would be able to fully support three major scripts such as Latin, Greek and Cyrillic, as well as document at the same time alternate glyphs and ligatures (for all three scripts) never before released. The result of this project I present to you today.
concept & guidelines
Three basic requirements became clear right from start. The new typeface would have to loose its deep classic calligraphic roots and instead acquire a clean contemporary identity; retain the handwriting elements without the mechanical repetition of identical glyphs for the same character and finally, apply similar design aesthetics to Latin, Greek and Cyrillic, without compromising the domestic characteristics of each script. The intention was to design this typeface in a way that works equally well for a variety of projects from music, fashion, lifestyle to business, communication and life's best.
On a practical basis the following guidelines were followed:
1. Lowercase characters were designed so they are less inclined, have a higher x-height and are less condensed than the original. Uppercase letters were corrected accordingly to follow suit (weight, stress, etc)
2. Several characters were stripped-off their connecting lines in order to enhance legibility.
3. Design four sets of alternate swashed capitals.
4. A plethora of ornaments and frames (117) was included.
5. Small caps and their alternate forms were designed to replace the capitals which disrupt the flow of text within a sentence with their extravagant swashes.
6. All characters were carefully designed with the proper weight in order to sustain harsh printing conditions (on special papers), a situation which affects mainly the light connecting parts of calligraphic typefaces.
7. A wide selection of alternate forms and ligatures (never before released or incorporated within the same font) was included for all languages, in order to accommodate diverse design aesthetics and preserve handwriting qualities. These alternates are either applied automatically through an advanced programming scheme, or manually through several opentype features.
8. Apply a programming scheme which will balance the frequency that ascenders, descenders and swashes appear among the various scripts in order to achieve a homogeneous optical effect.
9. Embellish the endings and beginnings of letters with several alternate swashes.
After having examined thoroughly the particulars of Champion's writing, the development of the typeface had to be properly organized into well defined steps which were strictly followed.
• stage 1
Selection Tables. During this stage a number of tables was created which documented all possible versions of characters which were numbered (fig.8). Later on, the dominant glyphs were chosen and highlighted in order to be used for the basic alphabet. Several others were dropped from the list whereas the remaining were used as alternate forms.
• stage 2
Uppercase. The list for uppercase letters was passed on to my two assistant designers George Lygas and Sophia Kalaentzidou who put together all the glyphs that were chosen from the manuscripts for each character and prepared them for digitization (fig. 8).
Sophia run the initial digitization process, made corrections and passed it on to George for further adjustments based on above guidelines. Finally, they were sent to me for the final adjustments which were performed when most glyphs were put together as a font. Figure 9 shows the resulting glyph for "A" from the original which sits in the background.
• stage 3
Lowercase. Meanwhile, I was busy designing the lowercase glyphs. It was realized right in the beginning that instead of digitizing lowercase characters from the manuscripts, it would be easier for me to set them up right from scratch. So starting with letters like "o", "n" and "i", I built the basic letterforms and afterwards I designed the rest, based on the initial guidelines and a visual reference of the original. A key point, is to set, right at start, the spacing of the characters for proper interlocking between the letters (fig. 10). After all 26 characters are completed, will begin the long process of proofing. Appropriate corrections will be made to the shape of the glyphs so they harmonize in form & weight.
• stage 4
Endings / Beginnings. A special list which was created in stage 1, documented a large number of swashed endings and beginnings for lowercase characters. By incorporating the information from this list into the original lowercase characters which were designed in stage 3, I created several new glyphs to be used as alternate initial and terminal forms (fig.11).
• stage 5
Small Caps. Small caps were created during this stage. These are not scaled-down versions of the capitals -just like the ones we see in other fonts- but rather small and simple capital forms, whose main purpose is to replace the capitals which disrupt the flow of text -when used within a sentence- with their extravagant swashes. Furthermone two more sets of stylistic variant small caps were created to be used within a sentence, in order to connect words which are separated with space, thus creating the effect of a continuous text flow (fig. 12).
• stage 6
Alternates. Hundreds of alternate glyphs and ligatures -for Latin, Greek and Cyrillic- were created either based on the original manuscripts, or right from scratch (fig. 13).
• stage 7
Ornaments. A total of 117 ornaments/frames were digitized (mostly done by George and Sophia) and incorporated into this typeface (fig. 14).
• stage 8
Kerning. Best designed calligraphic typefaces don't need kerning. There are a few exceptions though, as is in the case of Champion Script Pro, where there are several occurences of letters which do not interconnect and kerning had to be applied (fig. 15).
• stage 9
Programming. This involves the automatic replacement of a glyph into an alternate form, which either looks better in a certain sequence of characters, or avoids clashing with neighbouring glyphs (view sample here). This was a painstaking process as specific parameters had to be taken into consideration, such as possible neighbouring characters, frequency of occurence, etc (fig. 16).
Furthermore, many groups of glyphs were established in order to facilitate the manual selection of alternate forms. Finally, several more opentype features were incorporated into this typeface, in order to manage its vast array of glyphs.
• stage 10
Bold weight. After completing the design and programming for the regular version, it was decided to complement it with a bold version. Initially, the lowercase glyphs were designed using as reference the regular version and the rest just followed.
In conclusion, PF Champion Script Pro exceeded my initial expectations. What I presented to you today is the first version which is expected to be released right after summer (2007). I consider this being a typeface which evolves with time, as new ideas and comments from colleagues and users come through. Thus, a second release is due sometime at the end of the year and a third is planned for early 2008. Thank you all !!
Please note.
The blog has moved to a new location
Further links
Champion Script Pro (more info)
font lover
Tsevis Blogspot
ninja vs penguin
Youtube video
aol video
ministry of type
6 σχόλια:
- tsevis είπε...
I am using this typeface for no more than a week.
I still can believe how rich it is, how many different combinations I can create and what quality work it can produce.
This is a great work, Panos.
My sincere congratulations. - 3 Μαρτίου 2008 στις 1:02 μ.μ.
- Tetea είπε...
This is awsome! gotta be the best typeface i've ever come across...
- 4 Μαρτίου 2008 στις 5:06 π.μ.
- Mark είπε...
amazing font, i can't imagine working on one font for almost 3 years... you've got some dedication and perseverance there!
- 4 Μαρτίου 2008 στις 7:21 π.μ.
- w3y είπε...
Hi, thanks for posting the development of the typeface, it's beautiful!
And thank you so much for the link! :)
NinjaVsPenguin.com - 4 Μαρτίου 2008 στις 8:22 π.μ.
- Unknown είπε...
THIS IS GORGEOUS. I am trying to get a project that will justify my buying it, because I want want want it!
- 12 Ιουνίου 2009 στις 5:26 μ.μ.
- lyssa είπε...
Thank you for sharing Great and informative article with us. it is super cool typeface.
Lyssa Gale
All Fonts - 30 Ιουνίου 2011 στις 11:00 μ.μ.


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The Affordable Care Act, Explained is a project aimed at spelling out, in simple terms, some of the major changes brought by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law in March 2010. We've created 13 30-second radio PSAs in both Spanish and English that each tackle a different facet of the new law, which are available, free of charge, to radio stations all across the country.
CLICK HERE to download a .zip file of all the PSAs.
This website was created to be a further resource for folks who hear the PSAs to find more information. Many changes brought by the ACA are still sorting themselves out, so we'll update the site as much as we're able with the latest news that affects the topics we've covered.
Feel free to download the files from this website and use them however you wish. If you'd like a hard copy mailed to you free of charge, fill out this form:
This project is a collaboration between networks of non-profit organizations from across the country, involving the Central Appalachia Regional Network (CARN), the Southwest Rural Policy Network (SWRPN), and the National Alliance for Rural Policy. The PSAs were scripted, recorded in English, and mixed at WMMT 88.7 FM, the community radio station of Appalshop, Inc. in Whitesburg, Ky. The Spanish versions were translated and recorded by the Southwest Rural Policy Network in Taos, NM.
The music bed for these PSAs was taken from "Baby Born Upon the Sun," written & recorded by the handsome & talented Cory Burgess of Lafayette, LA.


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How To: Declare Bankruptcy
Page 1 of 2
Times are tough and you've found yourself with a pile of credit card debt — and you have no way to pay off. The creditors are constantly calling, and you just want it all to go away. Bankruptcy seems like an easy option — a quick and easy court process and you get a clean slate. Right? Well, it very well may be an option, but the idea is far simpler than the reality.Over the long haul, to declare bankruptcy is far better if you can find a way to legitimately pay your creditors. However, if you are truly in dire straits with no where to go (note that a required counseling program will determine this for you) then read on. Before whimsically going Chapter 7, 11 or 13, let's get you up to speed on some of the facts surrounding bankruptcy, the best ways to handle the situation and the pitfalls to avoid in the process.
Do: Get educated
The laws have changed. To declare bankruptcy used to be very simple. A simple, "I can't pay my bills" and that was it — clean slate. In 2005, new laws were passed that makes it far more difficult to declare bankruptcy. For instance, if you are seriously considering this option it is required that you go through pre-bankruptcy counseling that you will likely have to pay for. If you exceed certain income levels, repayment of the debt may be mandatory. That is, no clean slate.If you get your filing approved, credit counseling after the fact may also be required and in most cases you will still owe the money that you defaulted on. Most importantly, regardless of the outcome and how much you have to fork over, the clean slate is not entirely true. Credit reports will show a bankruptcy filing for as long as 10 years and some creditors may keep a permanent record of this event, which could preclude you from ever doing business with that group again. Filing for bankruptcy can also be rather embarrassing and you can be assured that people can and will find out. The final step to declare bankruptcy takes place in a court of law, so there will be a public case and perhaps even public announcement in the newspaper of your filing in the legal notices section.
Do: Get help
To declare bankruptcy is a complicated issue from a legal and a financial standpoint. It will cost you a few bucks, but don't go down the path to bankruptcy alone. Research and hire a reputable bankruptcy attorney to help guide you through the process. You will certainly be feeling vulnerable at this time, so be extra cautious not to fall for "erase your debt" or "quick fix" plans, particularly if they involve up-front money. A licensed attorney or adviser will quickly tell you those are not the paths to go down, and in some cases they can actually have worse impacts on your financial future than bankruptcy itself. Furthermore, facing the stress and feeling as though you've hit rock bottom is not an easy place to be, so make an effort to confide in a close friend or family member about the situation. It is embarrassing, but you will need to experience this humiliation and rely on a support group to help with some of the emotional fall out. The American Bankruptcy Institute offers a free search of certified attorneys in your area and educational resources and articles.Learning to declare bankruptcy properly could save you in the long run...
Credit Card


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Americans will Curse Obama for ObamacareBy Alan Caruba March 18, 2013Following the sequester debacle in which Obama and his cohorts were swiftly found to be lying through their teeth, his polling numbers have begun to fall and, folks you ain't seen nothing yet. As the realities and costs of the Affordable Healthcare Act—Obamacare—kick in, when he leaves office, he will be remembered for inflicting pain and suffering on Americans. As the various aspects of Obamacare become active, the impact on everyone will reduce their income and increase their costs. In retrospect it will be seen as the largest poison pill any President or political party ever swallowed. Recall that Obamacare was passed December 24, 2009, Christmas Eve, by a straight Democrat party vote, none of whom had even read the legislation. The House passed the bill with a vote of 219 to 212 on March 21, 2010, with 34 Democrats and all 178 Republicans voting against it. At 2,000-plus pages, it has now been joined by thousands of pages more to implement it. It is a regulatory nightmare. In January, the author of "Priceless: Curing the Healthcare Crisis", John C. Goodman, wrote of Obamacare's impact on your tax bill. "You will join other Americans in paying more than $500 billion in nineteen new types of taxes and fees over the next decade to fund health reform. Some of the new taxes will be indirect and will be passed on to you in the form of higher prices, higher premiums, or lower wages." As Americans address paying their 2012 income taxes, here are some of the new taxes that will afflict some or all of them at some point. # A tax on medical devices. This will cover "everything from surgical instruments and bedpans to wheelchairs and crutches. Even pacemakers and artificial hips and knees are taxes." If Obamacare is not repealed, it will rake in $20 billion over the next decade. # A tax on health insurance. Beginning in 2014, there will be a $60 billion tax on health insurance that will be felt in higher premiums. A typical family of four will have to spend nearly $1,000 a year. # A tax on drugs. If you think prescription drugs are expensive now, some drug makers have already begun to raise prices. # A tax on medical savings accounts. You will no longer be able to use these tax-free accounts to purchase over-the-counter drugs, forcing people to purchase drugs such as Claritin, aspirin or Advil at a cost that is 30% higher for a middle-class family. Contributions to such accounts will be capped at $2,500. # A tax on becoming ill. Today's tax law allows you to deduct medical expenses up to 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. Obamacare increases this to 10%, making your future deductions smaller. It became effective this year for people under 65 years of age and goes into effect in 2017 for those 65 and older. Obama will be out of office by then. He won't care even if you do. # Additional taxes. The Medicare payroll tax will increase by almost one-third for some people, rising from 2.9% today to 3.8& on wages over $200,000 for an individual and $250,000 for a couple. An additional 3.8% Medical payroll tax will be levied on investment income (capital gains, interest, and dividend income) at some income levels. The "rich" will pay more, but in effect this impacts most of the middle class. Benjamin Domenech, Managing Editor of Heartland Institute's Health Care News, recently reported that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has concluded that "Obamacare is going to be more expensive than the Obama administration thought, disrupt the marketplace more than they thought, and be tougher to implement than they thought." Recalling that Hillary Clinton was put in charge of similar healthcare changes during her husband's administration where the effort failed, if she were elected in 2016, you can be sure she would retain Obamacare. It can be repealed only if Republicans control both houses of Congress, so the midterm elections in 2014 are critical. Domenech reported that the CBO has concluded that the insurance exchanges that are part of Obamacare and are supposed to be up and running by next January will cost more than $1 trillion through 2022, a dramatic increase over the original budget forecast of $814 billion. Incredible disruptive, more employees will be dropped from their existing plans and fewer uninsured people will get coverage. With somewhere between 23 and 26 million Americans already out of work, millions more will join their ranks as companies cut their payrolls. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Obamacare will add $6.2 billion to the federal deficit. Recall that in September 2009 Obama promised that "I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits—either now or in the future." Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) said, "This is how a country goes broke." For these and a host of other reasons, people will curse Barack Obama as the full impact of his signature piece of legislation, his primary means of "transforming America" begins to affect Americans, some of whom will either be denied or be unable to afford medical treatment. They will die. Obama has already transformed America from the world's superpower to a debtor nation whose credit rating has been lowered, whose national defense capabilities have been reduced, and whose governance is guided by the absurd belief that humans cause and control the climate. Barack Obama has four more years to work his will and future historians will conclude that Americans twice elected a President who hates them and their nation.
Alan Caruba is an American public relations counselor and freelance writer who is a frequent critic of environmentalism, Islam and research on global warming. In the late 1970s Caruba founded the PR firm The Caruba Organization, and in 1990, the National Anxiety Center, which identifies itself as "a clearinghouse for information about 'scare campaigns' designed to influence public policy and opinion" on such subjects as global warming, ozone depletion and DDT. |


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Campaña de recaudación de fondos de la Fundación Andrey Rylkov para la reducción de daños en Rusia
The Russian NGO, Andrey Rylkov Foundation (ARF) is the first and only non-governmental organization in Moscow that provides sterile needles and syringes to injecting drug users and is the strongest advocate for drug users human rights including the right to health. In a country where the HIV epidemic is largely driven by the sharing of used injecting equipment The Russian government does not only deny funding for this activity but, in February 2012, it banned the website of the NGO.
The Federal Drug Control Service accused the ARF of spreading "drug propaganda", that is, advocating the use of an opiate substitute medicine, methadone. Opiate substitution therapy, an internationally recognized and widely used form of treatment that reduces crimes, deaths and disease, is banned in Russia.
The banning of the website outraged several international organizations, including the International AIDS Society, UNAIDS and Human Rights Watch. However, in answering questions at a press conference in Vienna last month, Mr. Ivanov said he is not considering lifting the ban, moreover, this time he did not only accuse ARF of advocating methadone treatment but of distributing methadone itself.
Early this month, the ARF launched a campaign to raise funds to buy a mobile van to reach disadvantaged young people on the streets of Moscow. The campaign, supported by Global Giving, calls attention to the lack of targeted interventions to prevent HIV among drug users in the Russian capital.
"If it wasn't for harm reduction, I don't know if I would still be alive. Today I help other drug users to protect themselves. Everyone should have access to lifesaving services, and a chance to live," said Maxim Malyshev, a peer outreach worker at ARF.
Please donate to ARF and spread the word among your contacts!


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03/05/12 Leadership Marshall County (LMC), a program of the Marshall County Community Foundation and the United Way of Marshall County, requests nominations for the Leader of the Year Award which recognizes an individual who exemplifies outstanding leadership in Marshall County. The award recipient will receive an engraved plaque and an award check in the amount of $500 to the not-for-profit organization of their choice.
Any individual meeting the selection criteria and award requirements will be considered. Individuals may be nominated by any resident of Marshall County. Nomination forms are available on the Marshall County Community Foundation website at: www.marshallcountylmc.org.
Selection Criteria
The recipient will:
Exemplify outstanding leadership
Exhibit a passion for community service
Possess the ability to encourage, develop, motivate and influence people
Display the ability to identify and address community problems
Must be a current or former resident or employee in Marshall County, Indiana
- Must be of good reputation
Submit Nominations by April 6th to: Leadership Marshall County, c/o Marshall County Community Foundation, P. O. Box 716, Plymouth, IN 46563 or email at: email@example.com. For further information contact Linda Yoder, Executive Director at 574-935-5159.


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With his head in the clouds
In a typically wry passage of "Walden," Thoreau claims, "If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life." It's a line that captures our ambivalent attitude about charity, what's now distilled to an extracurricular activity for high school students trying to improve the world - or their transcripts. Charity labors under the same denigration that ruined the word "pity," which we all know nobody wants. In these conservative times, anyone who hands out a meal is likely to be admonished that it's better to teach a man to fish, particularly if someone else does the teaching, preferably at a for-profit charter school.
A debut novel by Robert Rosenberg explores the challenges of charity with refreshing good humor and insight. "This Is Not Civilization" follows a young Peace Corps worker named Jeff Hartig as he helps people on an Indian reservation in Arizona, in a village in the post-Soviet country of Kyrgyzstan, and in the earthquake devastation of Istanbul in 1999.
Rosenberg himself was a Peace Corps volunteer in Kyrgyzstan, he won a fellowship to work on the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona, and he taught in Istanbul during the earthquake. As you might expect, those wide experiences give the author an extraordinary store of detail to create the exotic places Jeff seeks out in his restless quest.
What's unexpected, though, is the way Rosenberg allows this autobiographical adventure to rotate away from his fictive persona. Other characters periodically move to the forefront, not as objects of Jeff's benevolence or paragons of primitive virtue, but as people just as earnest and noble and foolish as Jeff is.
The novel's richest scenes take place in a forgotten mountain village in Kyrgyzstan, where a father named Anarbek manages a communist-era cheese factory that produces no cheese. While the rest of the country stumbles toward privatization, a bureaucratic oversight keeps subsidy checks flowing from the capital. Anarbek knows they're living on borrowed time, but in this barren, mountainous village there is nothing else do to. "We're still making a profit!" he assures the workers who arrive each day to sit and chat.
Anarbek's home life is just as precarious. A hot-headed young man has attempted to marry his daughter, Nazira, through an old custom called wife stealing. When Nazira escapes her beau/abductor and flees back home, Anarbek faces the dilemma of turning her away in deference to their ancient ways or taking her back in an act of public humiliation.
News that an American teacher of English is coming to the village lifts everyone's spirits. They're hoping for someone like Madonna or Sharon Stone, but when Jeff appears sporting a straight set of teeth, they embrace him with the zealous hospitality that tradition demands. Indeed, Jeff barely survives their enthusiasm; nauseating meals and exhausting celebrations leave him desperate for a moment of privacy.
This is risky comedy that in less deft hands would clunk into condescension, but Rosenberg keeps it aloft with a sweet sense of appreciation. The meals and rituals and costumes he describes are unimaginably foreign, but the earnestness and pride he captures in these people ennoble them.
"Adrift on waves of good intentions," Jeff has come to Kyrgyzstan after a disappointing retreat from an Apache reservation in Arizona, where he tried to establish a youth center. Ironically, halfway around the world, in this Central Asian village impossibly different from the native American settlement he left behind, Jeff finds the old complications of human nature essentially unchanged: The demands of modern business mesh poorly with ancient traditions; even desperate people are reluctant to give up their meager security for the slim chance of future prosperity.
As he tries to get Anarbek to move his factory beyond the cheesemaking charade, Jeff finds himself falling into the same ruse, claiming his students are making good progress. Only Anarbek's disgraced daughter Nazira, who also teaches English, seems to realize what's really happening, but she's too entranced by Jeff to object.
Two years later, when Jeff leaves their village, Nazira knows she must presume nothing about his devotion to her, but his genuine goodness is so beguiling that she can't resist fanning a little flame of hope in her otherwise realistic heart.
In the novel's final section, Rosenberg draws these characters to Turkey with a clever, almost comical, move that levels the playing field, forcing each of them to be the visiting foreigner. The ancient streets of Istanbul, studded with marks of modernity, provide a perfect setting for Anarbek, Jeff, and one of his Apache students from Arizona to consider the responsibilities that root them to the past.
Rosenberg's greatest challenge is moving between the large and small scales that his story demands. He has trouble conveying the passage of time, creating that accumulation of physical and mental detail that makes us believe characters have experienced more than we've been shown. And he's far better at capturing intimate gatherings like the Kyrgyz birthday party high in the mountains than panoramic scenes like the national celebration that draws 50,000 people.
But what a generous, big-hearted book this is, perceptive enough to catch the goodness in all these well- intentioned people. Each of them endures the sting of inadequacy, but they're all tethered to a sense of compassion that snaps them back from despair. Yes, the incurably charitable are hungering for their own salvation in the act of feeding others, but that cynical insight, Rosenberg argues, mustn't lead us to scorn the whole enterprise. In an era that gave us the term "compassion fatigue," his novel is a gentle rousing by someone who understands the complicated rewards of caring.
• Ron Charles is the Monitor's book editor. Send e-mail to Ron Charles.


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Weightloss and Wellness in Warwick, Rhode Island
Medi-Weightloss in Warwick, Rhode Island offers a seamless, personalized approach to weight-loss. This ensures a stress-free and uncomplicated experience. Serving Hillsgrove, Warwick and surrounding areas including Apponaug. Lippitt. Cowesett. West Warwick. Blackrock. Potowomut. Coventry. Auburn.
Warwick ( WOR-wik or WORR-ik) is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, the third largest city in the state with a population of 82,823 at the 2020 census. It is located approximately 12 miles (19 km) south of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, 63 miles (101 km) southwest of Boston, Massachusetts, and 171 miles (275 km) northeast of New York City. Warwick was founded by Samuel Gorton in 1642 and has witnessed major events in American history. It was decimated during King Philip's War (1675–1676) and was the site of the Gaspee Affair, the first act of armed resistance against the British, preceding even the Boston Tea Party, and a significant prelude to the American Revolution. Warwick was also the home of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene, George Washington's second-in-command, and Civil War General George S. Greene, a hero of the Battle of Gettysburg.
Annawomscutt, Apponaug, Armington Corner, Buttonwoods, Conimicut, Cowesett, Crompton, East Natick, Edgewood, Elmhurst, Fox Point, Hartford, Hillsgrove, Jewelry District, Lakewood


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As we work on our projects, there are always a million things that come up that we struggle with ... most of the time the actual work isn't so hard... it's finding out what to do in a certain situation ... finding out what options you have for a particular situation ... and then, finding the resources to help you solve the problem ... Enter The Hot Rod M. D. !
We've teamed up with one of our hobbys leading experts to help you with your projects. Jim Clark, Author, first Editor of "Street Rodder Magazine", former Publisher, and partner with Tex Smith in publishing books for Hot Rod Library, has agreed to host this section and contribute his vast knowledge to help you solve those problems. We have many articles from Jims' years of experience and we have the "know how" of many of the industries finest companies, who are contributing their FAQ's, installation articles, and "how to" articles of all sorts. It is our goal to provide you with the information you need .... before, and during the time you are working on your projects.
We plan to build the worlds largest online archive of technical articles in our industry ... no more thumbing through a pile of magazines to find that "how to" article you saw months ago .....It will all be right here at your fingertips any time you need it ...
Now keep in mind .... our Hot Rod MD is a "General Practitioner" who will give you the basics and try to refer you to the "Specialists" who can help solve your problem... we can't build that car for you but we can sure make it a lot easier !. We CANNOT ANSWER individual questions but if we think your predicament useful to the rodding public we'll try to find an answer and add it to the database or forward it to an expert for an answer. Email questions to [email protected]


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Not a single person showed up at the Georgetown waterfront Tuesday for a climate change agenda event put on by Organizing for Action, the shadowy nonprofit advocacy group born out of President Obama's 2012 campaign, the NRCC wrote in its blog.
The event page for the "Climate Change Day of Action Rally" disappeared after rainy weather appeared to drive away whatever people planned to attend. The embarrassing showing follows the news that only one volunteer stayed for an OFA Obamacare event in Centreville, Va., last week to work the phones:
ZERO PEOPLE at the OFA rally at the Georgetown Waterfront this morning. OMG CLIMATE CHANGE IS SUPER IMPORTANT... unless it rains.
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) August 13, 2013
Event page for today's DC OFA rally that disappeared: https://t.co/sDhL7jt8nV
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) August 13, 2013
@moelane pic.twitter.com/8XckvQNBw5
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) August 13, 2013
The NRCC blog added:
Now that I've had Phil Kerpen write half my post for me, here's the other half: it should surprise nobody – including the, ah, enthusiasts over at OfA, bless their hearts – that global warming doesn't have nearly the same bite to it that the Left desperately wants it to. The polling is consistent: global warming – or climate change, or whatever the latest buzzword is/will be – is at the bottom of any list of things that people worry about, or prioritize. It is thus unsurprising that an admittedly unpleasant sudden rain shower would stop people in Georgetown from attending: after all, OfA doesn't really want to talk about global warming at all. It's just that the two things that they should be talking about – the economy, and health care – are also two things that OfA does not dare talk about, largely because President Barack Obama clearly has no idea how to go about repairing the damage that he's caused to either.


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Conservative partisans and activists should have learned a blunt lesson about political power and how it's exercised in the United States in light of the Supreme Court's ruling on "Obamacare" this last week. Many conservatives hoped the court would take an active role in striking down legislation they thought was immoral and unconstitutional. Those hopes were dashed by a Supreme Court, which has done what it typically does in political disputes – defer to the president and congress.
Judicial scholars have long understood that the courts tend to defer to other branches of the federal government in times of intense political conflict. Judges – although hardly "objective" in their rulings – don't like to be seen as blatantly taking sides in blatant partisan battles such as the recent fight over whether it is constitutional for the government to mandate that individuals purchase private health insurance under threat of penalty (or threat of "tax" as the liberal judges and Roberts deemed the $695 annual fine imposed on those not purchasing health insurance). It's not that judges are free from partisan beliefs (they are as biased as anyone), or that they don't act on those beliefs (they do)' it's just that their judicial "prestige" rests upon projecting themselves as above partisan bickering – especially on legislation as high profile as "Obamacare." At times the courts blunder into blatantly partisan political rulings (Bush v. Gore 2000 showed this) but they do so at their own peril. This danger appears to have been openly acknowledged by Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts in recent days.
It has long been understood by many students of the judiciary that the courts lack many of the basic powers needed to play an active or independent role in governing when it comes to partisan conflicts. This point was made abundantly clear in Gerald Rosenberg's classic study, The Hollow Hope, which demonstrated that courts are ineffective in (or perhaps incapable of) producing social change. Rosenberg argued that "U.S. courts can almost never be effective producers of significant social reform. At best, they can second the social reform acts of the other branches of government." Rosenberg made this claim due to a number of considerations: 1. Courts lack the mandate to actively create policy; rather they are expected to rule in a reactive way on the policies already passed by congress and the president. This reality makes it difficult for the court to get out in front in terms of setting the political agenda on things like health care reform. 2. Even if the court wanted to set the agenda on partisan issues, it lacks an enforcement mechanism for translating this wish into a reality. Rosenberg marshals quite a bit of evidence to demonstrate his point. In an exhaustive analysis of the cases of the history surrounding the Supreme Court cases of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and Roe v. Wade (1973), he demonstrates that it was social movements, rather than the court, that played the major role in mobilizing the public in support of equal rights and women's rights. Rather than "creating" rights for women and minorities on their own, the court rulings in question were instead a response to the efforts of these social movements, and subsequent efforts by Congress to expand the rights of disadvantaged social groups. The implication is clear: individuals should expect social change to originate in their own sustained and vigilant actions to force a change in the status quo, rather than relying on the courts (whose members, realistically, are political elites and members of the established political order).
In other words, the courts can rule on many issues, but they have no way to actually force the president and congress to follow their rulings, especially judges choose to anger Congress and the president by defying legislation with which they disagree. The prospect that members of Congress and the Executive will ignore disagreeable judicial rulings reveals the fundamental weakness of the courts, as they reside in the weakest position in the political pecking order. If the president has the power to enforce (or "Executive") the law via the federal bureaucracy, and the Congress retains the power of the purse in terms of authorizing legislation and spending, what mechanism do the courts having for imposing their will outside of hoping that legislators and the president will listen? This basic limit of the courts has been recognized as far back as the writings of Alexander Hamilton, as seen in the Federalist papers.
The lack of enforcement powers of the courts clearly did not escape Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, as he concurred with the four liberal judges on the court that "Obamacare" was indeed "constitutional." In his written opinion, Roberts argued in favor of a "permissive reading" of the Constitution so as to allow for the mandate and its $695 penalty under the assumption that this penalty essentially represented a tax on citizens, and that such a tax was permissible under the "general welfare" and "taxation" clause of the Constitution. The taxation and general welfare clause specifically states that "The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States." In other words, the mandate represents a constitutionally permissible effort by Congress to tax Americans and even penalize them in order to promote the "general welfare" (expanding health care coverage). Robert's ruling represents a careful political calculus at play by judges who retain very real concerns about how far their authority extends over the other branches of the federal government. Displaying this calculus, Roberts discussed "our [the court's] deference in matters of policy" to the other branches of the federal government, and "our respect for Congress's policy judgments." As Roberts wrote:
"Our permissive reading of these [taxation] powers [of the federal government to impose a health care mandate and penalty] is explained in part by a general reticence to invalidate the acts of the nation's elected leaders. 'Proper respect for a co-ordinate branch of the government' requires that we strike down an Act of Congress only if the 'lack of constitutional authority to pass [the] act in question is clearly demonstrated' [Roberts cited the case of United States v. Harris (1883) to make this point]. Members of this court are vested with the authority to interpret the law; we possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy judgments. Those decisions are entrusted to our Nation's elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices."
Roberts' liberal ruling allows for a controversial mandate that goes beyond simply regulating economic activity, but allows the punishment of inactivity (not purchasing health insurance). Many on the left and right have understandably challenged this provision of the bill, since the federal government has never before compelled its citizens to purchase a product under threat of fine. Many progressives instead advocate a "public option," in which the government would simply pay the health insurance of the uninsured, rather than fining citizens for not granting government-mandated subsidies for the private health care industry. While Roberts technically ruled that punishing inactivity (not buying insurance) is legally impermissible under the "commerce" powers granted the federal government in the Constitution, this pronouncement is largely belied by his support for punishing inactivity under the taxation powers granted in the Constitution.
While conservatives will no doubt be angry at the Chief Justice for his ruling in this case, their objections are representative of a large-scale ignorance as to the limits that are realistically imposed on the courts by the other branches of government. Roberts' statement should be taken as an explicit admission of the limited powers of the federal courts. The reality of the matter is that the courts will threaten their own ability to authoritatively interpret the Constitution if they start to mix it up with the president and congress over highly charged political issues. This lesson should have become abundantly clear following the Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004) and Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006) court cases, where the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the Bush administration's indefinite detention of "enemy combatants," and invalidated the government's use of military trials (rather than civilian trials) against alleged terrorists. In those cases, the presidents (both Bush and Obama) essentially ignored the Supreme Court's rulings, continuing with, and even escalating, the illegal detainment of alleged terrorists and prosecuting (some of them) through military trials. In these cases the Constitution's legal protections for the detained was indisputably clear, as the 5th Amendment guarantees that "no person" (rather than no citizen) shall be denied basic due process under the law. In light of a lack of an enforcement mechanism for compelling the president to respect the court's decisions (and in light of the unwillingness of Congress to impeach either president for their ignoring of the rulings), the Supreme Court was left with no means of compelling the president or Congress to respect the law.
The blatant contempt for the court's authority seen through the "war on terror" is hardly an isolated incident. Congressional-judicial studies have found that Congress tends to overrule Supreme Court decisions that it disagrees with about 70 percent of the time. Furthermore, Congress openly considers revising at least one in every five court rulings via the legislative process, despite the fact that the courts are supposed to have final say over the constitutionality of federal legislation and the actions of members of congress and the executive. Clearly, Supreme Court judges are aware of the danger of becoming irrelevant, should they become too independent of the governing regime in control of Congress and the White House. Supreme Court justices have been shown to openly consider in their writings the preferences of members of Congress and the Executive in one half of all cases deliberated (see Roberts statement above for more on this). Furthermore, deference to the president in political conflicts is constant. Studies suggest that the president (and more directly his Solicitor General, who represents the president in court) prevail in about two-thirds of all court cases that they litigate in federal court. In the few cases that they lose and choose to appeal, the president and Solicitor General win an overwhelming 83 percent of cases. These success rates are far and above what one would expect if the courts were not consciously deferring to the president.
Critics might challenge the above arguments by arguing that the Supreme Court has been very active in cases like Citizens United (2010) in expanding the power of corporate and business interests. This is undeniably true, but not relevant to my point. In such cases where the court commits to expanding corporate power, it has actually aligned itself with, rather than against a bi-partisan governing regime that has embraced the growing power of corporations and business in the electoral process. Congressional and presidential candidates are more reliant on corporate campaign contributions and spending for issue ads today than at any other point in American history. The court's efforts to solidify such powers, then, should not be seen as a deviation from the status quo, but an intensification of it.
The Supreme Court's health care ruling should serve as a wakeup call for activists or political figures on the left or right who are holding out hope that the courts can actively produce positive social change. As the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts is no fool. He understands (and openly acknowledges) the very real limits of the courts in promoting social change. Those calling for dramatic changes in the status quo in relation to health care (whether in terms of overturning the mandate or introducing a public option or even universal health care) should stop looking to the courts to be their savior. Activists' attention would be better spent on building social movements to promote change and pressure Congress and the president to pass new reforms, rather than relying on the unlikely, and ultimately hollow hope of the courts to promote change.
Anthony DiMaggio is the author of numerous books, including most recently The Rise of the Tea Party, and other works such as Crashing the Tea Party (2011); When Media Goes to War (2010); and Mass Media, Mass Propaganda (2008). He has taught American politics and International Relations in Political Science at a number of colleges and universities, and can be reached at: email@example.com


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Created of the finest Swiss cotton and handmade Calais lace from France, Belle de Jour was created as the showpiece of the Zimmerli Womens line by world-renouned former owner Walter Borner. Due to the new owner's move to streamline production and increase volume, the original Belle de Jour has sadly been discontinued. Only a limited rare few remain availble. Belle de Jour is one of the finest luxury womens lingerie collections ever made and is yet to be replicated ... although we're working on it!
- Zimmerli Belle de Jour French Lace Hipster
- Pure Swiss Cotton
- Made in Switzerland